


Prendre le Large

by 0ddEye



Category: Original Work, Wakfu
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Gen, Pirates, fan fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-10-21 00:45:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10674177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0ddEye/pseuds/0ddEye
Summary: Omei, a young orphan, runs away from the orphanage he was raised in. He hides in a ship in hopes of finding his place somewhere in the world.





	1. The Orphanage

**Author's Note:**

> Note; This story plays out some time after the events of the OVA's

"Today's the day."

 

Today's the day...  
I've been telling myself this everyday, for weeks, for months, for years. And yet, nothing came, nothing changed. Adults look at me from head to toe with disgust, as usual. I'm a mystery to them, to everyone in fact. At least Sarah tries to smile and put the odds behind her. Sarah is our caretaker, an old Eniripsa. A kind woman. She found me when I was nothing but a baby and raised me, along with the other children in the orphanage that she runs.  
The orphanage... I wouldn't talk about it so kindly. Kids in here are mean, pushy, heartless. In so many occasions they made fun of me, of what I looked like. "PaleFace", "Odd-eye", "weakling", these are the mainly used ones, but there are lots more. I can't count how many times I've cried myself to sleep, only to be awoken by nightmares. I can't escape this cruddy life, not even in my sleep. 

The years seem to pass so slowly...  
I've stopped counting them. I don't even know how old I am anymore. But Sarah seems to know, and she looks more and more concerned about it with each year that passes. I'm not a normal child, and I know it. I've seen many of them grow up, being adopted by loving parents and disappearing, never to be seen again, while I sit there and wait for my time. I've dreamed of being taken by them too. I wish I knew what a family felt like, but no one seemed to really want me. 

 

And by now I knew nobody would ever want a child like me. I was too weird for them.

 

I sighed as I observed the scenery through my window. The sun was setting over the ocean, giving the calm waters a mesmerizing orange tint. I could see ships sail off from the harbor here. It seemed less busy today, only but a few ships were berthed to the wooden docks. People were carrying heavy boxes out, probably important shipments for Bonta's merchants. I didn't really know, nor did I really cared. What I care about was to know which boats would stay overnight. 

I had a plan.   
A plan to escape, to leave this place like the ones who were adopted and never came back. My plan was to infiltrate a boat, hide in it and wait for it to sail off and reach another destination. Then, I'd get out and be free to explore the world as I pleased! 

 

"Today's the day" I repeated, like to convince myself.

 

I observed the window, and glanced at the reflection it was projecting: my face, white like sheets and tainted with blue markings. But what caught my attention were my eyes. Completely blue, dark blue even to the pupils, surrounded by turquoise.  
I hated this face. It was the cause of all my troubles; the horrified and disgusted looks were triggered by this pale creature that stared back at me. I glanced down. I prefered observing the wooden contour of my window rather than my face. My hands were resting on the edge, crisped up and nervously holding the painted wood. The bandages felt loose around them and revealed my discolored hands. After I narrowed my eyes, I noticed that they were shaking. My entire being was shaking like a leaf in the wind. I had never been so nervous before. Was it because I was to leave soon? 

I should've felt excited, right? I was going to discover the unknown, I was going to leave all the people who hated me behind and walk forward to a new path.

I moved away from the window to observe my room in hope of changing my mind. I looked around, observing the walls, which were covered in drawings. Drawings I had made over my sleepless nights. Sarah would usually get mad at me for doing so, and completely repainted the walls once. But I kept on going, and at one point she stopped caring. Though she never truly understood how I could get so close to my ceiling when I supposedly couldn't reach it.  
Well, I have a secret, my own little secret. I knew I wasn't a child like the others before, but this only confirmed how odd I was. With a simple move of my hand, I could create portals. That's how I was able to draw so high. Passing half of my body through a portal and drawing to my heart's content in places I never could reach before. It was also the best way to prank people: moving things when they weren't looking, taping their shoulders, or just plain stealing things. I used to scare Sarah a lot by teleporting myself behind her before she would turn around. It gave me quite the laughs. 

But tonight, my portals would be used for more than just my entertainment.  
They are the most important piece of my plan. Without them I wouldn't even be able to pass through the doors of the orphanage. Sarah locks them at 10pm precisely, to avoid children slipping out at night, or strangers walking in and stealing our goods. It works both ways and there is only one key; Sarah wears it as a necklace to keep it under close watch. She's no fool, she'd notice the moment it went missing, so using my portals is the only option.   
I already knew which way to use. the road that led directly to the harbor was completely empty at night, and the harbor itself was checked every hour by guards of Bonta. I didn't want to mess with them either. They were usually sturdy and imposing, compared to my little self. However, it would be easy to slip behind them, I doubt they had to deal with powers like mine before.

Just thinking of this plan again made me quiver. What if something went wrong? I breathed in, then out loudly, attempting to relax myself. This was going to go just as planned. And if it didn't, well, I could still fix it! I closed my eyes and imagined the world I would get to discover, away from Bonta. A smile crooked my lips slightly. I couldn't wait to be out there...  
But... I couldn't just leave like that, right? After all, Sarah did take care of me for all these years. It would be unfair to leave without a thank you. I knelt down to look under my bed and pulled out a small tin box, where all my precious crayons were stored. I also pulled out a white sheet of paper. Sarah left them there after she gave up on the idea of me not drawing on the walls. I snickered at the memory as I picked a blue crayon and started writing. 

 

Dear Sarah

 

I wanted to say thank you. 

Thank you for raising me and taking care of me a little more than the other children. I know I wasn't an easy task, but from now on, I wont be on your work list anymore. And trust me, I'm going to find my own road out there. I don't need parents to watch over me, if all they are going to do is stare at me with concerned faces. I'll be fine on my own. You don't need to worry for me.

 

Love you

Omei.

 

I dropped the crayon and picked up the letter, reading through it slowly. It wasn't the best. The message was dry and my handwriting was a little shaky, but it was readable at least. I folded the paper in three and laid it carefully on my bed. As I placed back my blue crayon in the tin, I observed it for a second. These where the only things I remembered playing with so much. Drawing nonsense was always a way to escape for me.  
After staring for some time, I closed the tin and pushed it back under the bed. I didn't know when I'd be able to draw again. Might be in a long time if I wanted to explore the world. I couldn't bring my tin with me anyway, I only brought the necessary.

I sighed and got up. I turned my head to observe outside my window. The sun had set. I felt my stomach suddenly turn. The need to puke was rising up my throat, but I swallowed it back in.  
I was getting more and more nervous, I needed another distraction.  
I couldn't leave now anyway: Sarah would notice. I would probably even get caught trying to slip in a boat! I couldn't afford that, or I would be grounded for a month! And being grounded by Sarah is horrible. She becomes so stern it's creepy. I quickly shook my head at the idea. Gods no I didn't want to face an angry Eniripsa ever again!  
My breathing was heavy, like if I was hiding from something. I approached my window and placed my shaky hands against the wooden contour, resting them where they've always been. I was gonna miss this view...  
The sky had taken a dark tone of blue mixing in with purple, and high up, all black. Some tiny white specks were already showing up there, some brighter than the others. Stars. I could stare at them for hours on end, I felt my body relax as I lost myself in the view.

 

"Tonight... 

Tonight is the night."

 

\--------------------

 

It was dark.  
Everything was silent and peaceful.  
The only distinct sounds that could be heard were my breathing and the irregular, nervous beating of my heart in my chest.

It was time.

I picked up my bag from under my bed and made sure the letter was in sight so that Sarah wouldn't go looking all around the place to find me. Even though I just knew she would do it anyway. With each step I took closer to my door, it would feel like an arrow of guilt pierced my heart. As I faced my door and reached the handle, I stopped dead in my tracks, wondering.

"Am I going to regret this?"

The words brought tears to my eyes. Once I would go through the orphanage's doors, there would be no going back, and already passing through my own door was a task! 

"No."

 

I gulped and held back the tears.  
I didn't belong here. I didn't belong in a world where everybody looked at me weird. I would find respect out there, maybe even friends... I frowned as I remembered the dumb kids that made fun of me. I wasn't gonna cry this time. 

My hand grabbed the handle, turned it and then pushed the wooden door softly, trying to muffle its creaking. As I set foot in the corridor, I looked back at my room.  
The place I had lived in for all my childhood. The room was lit up by the blue haze of moonlight, shining against the walls and floor. Everything I knew was in sight. My bed, where I passed countless nights jumping on instead of sleeping, my drawings, which told the story of my imaginary family on the walls, my wardrobe, where I used to hide in and pretend it was a cave to explore, and the chest I kept all my old toys in. All of this, I would never see again.  
My hands shook as I pushed the door closed. 

It was time to say goodbye

 

I walked through the dark corridor on the tip of my toes, making sure I wouldn't wake up someone. The wooden planks were known to make a great deal of sounds when walked on, so I had to be more than simply careful. As I reached the stairs, I gave a look around then proceeded to go down. As I reached ground level, my heart sank into my chest.  
The silhouette of Sarah sitting in an armchair by side of the fireplace froze me in place. She was facing me; the light that emanated from the fireplace created weird and creepy shadows along her face and body, giving the impression that I was facing a demon ready to judge me. I closed my eyes, awaiting Sarah's remarks on how late it was. I was toast, done for, she had caught me red handed! I had a bag on my back, she would surely ask about that! I couldn't believe this; I was not even out yet-  
My train of thoughts stopped as I heard a light snore. 

 

Sarah was sleeping.  
She had fallen asleep in the armchair. I felt my heart take back its normal beat as I sighed in relief. I felt like my life had flashed in front of my eyes for a few seconds. I looked up. Behind her were the doors. The big entrance doors of the orphanage. I walked passed Sarah, subtle like a Sram, and stopped before the doors. I looked at them for a moment, as if I was saying silent goodbyes to the orphanage itself.

Then, I turned to give a last look at the Eniripsa, who was still sleeping like a baby. I smiled for a second, then whispered. Just low enough to avoid waking her up.

"Goodnight Sarah."

 

I glanced back at my objective.

Now.

Take a deep breath,

And think about outside...

 

I spun my hand in a circle motion, and before me appeared a zaap small enough for me to fit through. If I had imagined the outside of the orphanage right, I would land at the right place.  
Without a second thought, I jumped in. 

I almost lost my balance as I landed on the marble stairs of the entrance. I glanced up to see where I landed, and smiled as I saw the familiar surroundings. I made it out, and landed at the right place too! A part of me wanted to scream in joy, but I knew I had to be as silent as death itself or I would get caught and my escape plan would be ruined.  
I jumped down the stairs and turned around, observing the orphanage's facade one last time. Somehow... I felt no remorse other than leaving Sarah behind without properly thanking her. All the other things, I was happy to forget! I grinned as I started my walk along the road.

"See you never... Orphanage."

 

\---------------

 

As I approached the harbor, I could smell the ocean and hear the small waves crash against the dock. My heartbeat was faster and faster, I was ready, ready to leave it all behind. I was ready for adventure! My slow walk had turned into a quick walk, then a run. Excitement was boiling in me and it felt like it was ready to explode at any moment. If I wouldn't have to keep silent, I would be laughing and screaming in joy. My feet tapped on the path as I was going downwards, wearing a proud smile on my face. I had never smiled so much before. The idea of freedom felt like it gave me wings.  
A small giggle made it out of my lips as I arrived at the harbor, and faced boats for the very first time in my life... I came to a halt as my jaw dropped. It was the very first time I faced such gigantic ships. Some of them beautifully decorated, others simple in nature, but armed to the teeth. But, one of them caught my eye. One boat in particular.

It wasn't really that huge, but something about it pulled me closer. It had beautiful red sails, and just under the bowsprit stood proudly the representation of a winged woman, eyes closed and arms attached together with chains. I instantly remembered this lady to be Sacrier, goddess of pain. It felt weird for someone to have such a figure in front of their ship, and some might even have called it scary, but me?  
It only but spiked my curiosity.  
This was the boat, the boat I was going to slip into. As I was creating my portal, a light caught my attention. It came from behind me.  
Guards.

"Shoot!"

I whispered as I jumped in my portal, improvising its location. As I shot out on the other side, I landed heavily on the boat's dock. I quickly glanced around me and sprung up on my feet, searching for a way down.  
I had read a few books about boats and the best place to hide for me was the storage, where all the merchandise and goods were kept. It would be easy to simply hide behind a few boxes and barrels. As I didn't quite knew this ship's inside, I couldn't teleport myself there. I would have to be sneaky. I walked softly towards a hatch; it would surely bring me down to the storage area, and hopefully not the crew's quarters... I opened it with and grind my teeth as it loudly cracked. I slipped in and fell down to a lower deck as the hatch closed down by itself. 

The light was dim, I could hardly see in front of myself. It took some time for my eyes to adjust, but as they did, I noticed a few boxes around me. It was the food supplies. If I stayed here, the crew would find me in an instant, I had to go down another time. At least I could see an entrance and a small staircase from there. I sneaked downstairs and finally found the storage. 

 

After a few minutes of searching, I found the perfect spot: behind two sturdy barrels. I didn't know what they contained, but they were of a perfect size to hide behind. I slipped in the best I could and crouched. It wasn't that comfortable but, that was all I would have for now. Between the wall and two barrels... This was how my voyage began. I removed my bag and placed it behind my head to act as a pillow. The soft rocking of the boat felt... good. It felt like how Sarah used to cradle me as a child, I softly closed my eyes. However, before they shut, something caught my attention. My amulet...  
It was shining, like a faraway star. I hadn't noticed this before. I didn't even know it could glow. Was it a sign? Was it telling me that I was on the right path? I took the little piece between my hands, cupping the dim blue glow that emanated from it. It felt a little warm to the touch, even reassuring. I closed my hands on it and shut my eyes. 

For once in a very long time,

I fell asleep.

In a deep, calm, sleep.

 

To be continued


	2. The Crimson Goddess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: Vomitting mention

My eyes flew open. 

The surface I was on kept rocking and moved from left to right. Where was I? The environment confused me but I seemed to be stuck between two large barrels. After some time, I slowly remembered everything that happened yesterday. I ran away from home and hid in a ship...

Well, now I couldn't do anything but wait between these two barrels and the boat's side to arrive to destination. I sighed as I laid my head back against my bag to look up at the ceiling. It felt weird to see it move so slightly: the sensation of being on a boat was entirely new to me. After staring at the ceiling for a while, I started to feel dizzy... And nauseous. I tried closing my eyes and ignoring the movement, but it was hard to forget when the ship was rocking so much. I felt a hiccup go up my throat, which I didn't hold it in at first. A second hiccup came right after and escaped my lips, this time followed by an unwanted quantity of bile, that I swallowed back as quickly as it came. I grimaced at the aftertaste. If it was going to be like this for the whole trip, it was going to be a lot harder than I thought! I felt the bile going back up again, I however denied its passage by swallowing yet another time. This was going to end really badly if I kept it inside me. But letting it out meant going upstairs, and I couldn't. I would be caught.

I felt stuck, nauseous and dizzy. It couldn't get worse... Right? 

Wrong. 

My heart started beating faster as I suddenly heard heavy footsteps going down the stairs. I held my breath as it reached the storage and started walking around, humming. Its voice was deep, so I gave a wild guess. This person was male, and big. I closed my eyes and began praying to who knows what god that this person wouldn't find me. The Gods probably decided otherwise as I felt yet another hiccup go up my throat. I tried swallowing it back in, but got it stuck instead, refusing to go back down. There was a second of calm, and I thought I got rid of it. Until a sudden move of the boat startled me and set the hiccup free. I quickly covered my mouth to avoid another sound from escaping and hoped that the newcomer didn't hear anything. Alas, my hopes were melting down as I noticed that the man had stopped humming. 

It was completely silent...

Something was off. I couldn't tell where he was anymore.

...Was he gone?

I removed my hands from over my mouth and tried looking between the two barrels. It was completely black. I could see through it before, I knew I could! I backed up my head, looked up...

And I screamed.

A giant Pandawa was looking at me. I guessed right on the gender and size, but I didn't think he would be THAT huge! He was so big, his head was brushing the ceiling! His face looked menacing as his short muzzle was curved by a large grumpy pout. I was trembling like a scared bow-meow.

"I though we had no more rats down in storage", he finally muttered in a foreign accent, his fists on his hips.

Without another word, he brought his gigantic paw towards me and picked me up by the hood, which I held back as I was lifted off from the ground. In panic, I yelled:

"Please don't hurt me! I'm not worth it!! Not worth it at all! Please don't bring me back to Bonta I don't want to go to jail!!"

I helplessly flailed my legs back and forth. The Pandawa didn't flinch to my reaction and simply dragged me upstairs. Lifting me with such ease... it was to wonder if I weighted that much. In my utter panic, I felt another hiccup come, and this time it wasn't alone. I was gonna be sick right then and there. I couldn't let go of my hood, or it would fall off and reveal my head. I closed my eyes shut and whimpered desperately. The Pandawa brought me up to the dock and, since he probably noticed I was about to vomit, let go of me. I didn't hesitate a second. The moment my feet touched the ground, I ran towards the boat's side and puked overboard. My hands held the edge tightly as my back convulsed violently, my body forcing me to gag out everything my stomach contained, which was almost nothing. Once it was done, I slid down to sit on the ground, my hands still on the railing. I gave a glance back at where I ran off from to discover that people were looking at me. I felt a blush creep along my cheeks as I tried to articulate words, which all turned into gibberish and mumbles. The Panda was nowhere to be seen. Don't tell me...

"I didn't know rats could be seasick"

A voice spoke up from my left. It wasn't the Panda's distinctive accent... I turned my head to face the one who had just spoken. My heart dropped. Just a few meters away from me stood a Sacrier, wearing a large black coat decorated with red and gold lines, used pants which seemed to have been re-sown multiple times, glistening leather boots and a dark hat garnished with a long red feather. I gulped as his dark eyes glanced right through mine. Not even the raven strands of hair that floated in front of his face broke his stare. I knew, at that one moment, who I was messing with.

The captain.

I tried talking again, but my words went all over the place. None of them made sense and only revealed to the entire crew how scared and helpless I was. It hadn't even been a day, and there I was, getting caught because of this stupid seasickness I didn't even know I had. 

The captain kept scanning me, as if he was writing a report on how I looked and acted. After a while, he turned back to the Panda, who had been standing behind him the whole time. The man whispered something to him, to which the Pandawa answered with a shrug.

The Sacrier passed by me and spoke loudly.

"Who was responsible of checking the stockroom yesterday?!"

The crew to whom he spoke all looked at each other with nervous stares. But one was more obviously guilty than the others. So much, he tried hiding behind them. Apparently I wasn't the only one catching a glimpse of him, since the captain spoke right after I noticed the nervous Ecaflip.

"Keul! Don't try hiding yourself. You make it so obvious already."

The black and white Ecaflip gave a shocked stare back at the Sacrier, his tail nervously wagging behind him. The tip was broken and followed around loosely as he moved forward.

"Sorry, captain. I probably missed a few... Boxes and barrels, heh."

The Ecaflip had an awkward chuckle, before looking back at the floor, ears flopped down close to his head. Even though he was wearing an eye patch, his other eye clearly showed his anxiety, and for a second, I felt bad for him. It wasn't his fault at all! I slipped in late since I knew they wouldn't be checking the stock at that hour. The Sacrier approached the bicoloured cat and the crew gave them space, making a clear circle around the two.

"You yet again didn't check properly. I might just throw you off board Keul! Its been three times now! But this time it's a god damn child. What are we going to do with him?!"

His tone was strict and dry, making his remarks very clear to his nervous crew member. Keul took a step back at his captain's statements, raising his arms as a sign of submission.

"S-sorry captain. It won't happen again, I swear!"

I got on my feet to observe the scene better, my balance was a little off and my legs were shaking like crazy, but I was still able to stand up. The Sacrier had put distance between him and the Ecaflip, his arms crossed.

"I surely hope not Keul. Next time you mess up, I'll throw you down in the depths without a second thought."

He didn't give the Ecaflip a chance to reply. The crew stepped aside as the Sacrier walked back towards me, his face as emotionless as a plank. I stared back, and I felt nauseous once again, though this time it wasn't because of the ship's toggles. No. It was those black eyes. They reflected mysterious emotions that I didn't understand. The way he looked back at me gave me chills. I tried walking backwards as he got uncomfortably close. I ended up knocking the back of my feet against the railing. I dropped my hands on it as the captain stopped right in front of me.

"What am I going to do with you...", he muttered. 

I tried to avoid his stare to calm myself so I looked on both his sides. The rest of the crew behind him had gone back to their job, with the exception of the Pandawa who had walked closer to us. So did an old Enutrof who stared at me, his eyes narrowed. He was being weary of me, I couldn't blame him. He spoke in a croaky old voice.

"I wouldn't keep him on board if I were ye. Lads like him always bring trouble on ships. He could ruin our next raid."

Raid..?

"I didn't ask you Ail. You're always skeptical about new members."

The captain replied briskly as he looked back at the Enutrof, who had slightly leaned to support himself on a wooden cane. He played with his grey beard as he shared the stare. That one wasn't like Keul I bet.

"Better bein' skeptical than gettin' tricked 'cause you were blind. I can smell it, this child's nothin' but trouble!"

I felt the ears of my hat flop down. This old man was being persistent. If he kept it up, the captain might just follow what he said and throw me off the boat. Finally, my voice came back to me and I tried to defend myself.

"P-please don't throw me in the water! I... I can be useful here! And I promise, once we're on ground I get off and never bother you again!"

The captain glared back at me, again with those eyes! Looking at them was like looking down a deep well. Nothing but darkness in those pupils. He frowned and spoke up, his tone as serious as how he addressed his crew.

"Kid this is no joke. If you're going to stay here, you have to give a vow of silence."

His words were confusing me. A vow of silence? Why? My questioning stare probably made him notice that I had no idea what he was talking about. The Pandawa spoke before his captain could.

"I doubt he knows what is going on, Gale. You might want to tell him."

The captain, apparently called "Gale", brought a hand to his face and rubbed his forehead with his fingers. He seemed quite disappointed of the situation, and maybe even out of ideas. He let out a long sigh and removed his hand.

"Listen, you're lucky you're still a kid, because pirates like us would have thrown you out the second we saw you if you were older."

If that wasn't its natural state, my face would have turned pale the second he mentioned the word "pirates". My head snapped upwards to look at the flag that was floating atop the main mast. 

A black flag.

I felt my plan tumble down. I couldn't believe I was this unlucky. Being caught on the first day and discovering the ship I had randomly chosen was a pirate ship!? And now, they were discussing about how they would get rid of me. I didn't know how to swim, and the ocean was deep. Sure, I could teleport out of there but we were so far away from the shore, I would get tired before reaching it. I felt panic rise, and with it a sudden need to be sick. My legs failed me, and I was now using only the railing as support. I placed my hand in front of my mouth as I felt another wave rise up my throat. My body, weak and shaking like a leaf, was left completely opened to the three in front of me. They could pick me up and throw me off easily, or kill me in a second. I was helpless. The words they spoke to me slowly turned into gibberish in my ears. As I felt my head spin and my vision blur, all strength left me. 

Nothing but darkness...

I fell to the ground. 

 

\--------

 

"Do you think he'll be alright?" 

... 

"Da. Nothing but a little trauma."

... 

The voices were clear in the darkness. 

Were they talking about me? 

Why was it so hard to open my eyes? 

I struggled to lift my eyelids. My vision was still a mess of colours and blurry shapes. It took some time for my eyes to adjust. 

"See, waking up already." 

I was laying in something... warm, and cozy. The shapes became clear with time, I was inside... inside a room, laying on a small bed. The Pandawa from before was sitting by my side, a small piece of cloth in his hand. He gave me a small smile, something that surprised me. 

"You got quite the shock back there, did you?", the Panda asked. 

I simply rolled my head to the side to look at him correctly. I was... confused. Why did they keep me? The moment I fell to the ground, I was in an position of weakness. And yet... 

"W-why did you..." 

My words failed me as I felt a headache rise, I clenched my teeth at the pain. Instead, someone else finished my sentence. 

"Keep you?" 

The captain moved forward. He had been keeping himself in a safe distance, away from my sight. 

"We don't throw kids in the depths", he added, arms crossed. Yet, even though he was showing off a cold and collected attitude physically, his tone felt... Amused. 

I felt strength come back to me and I tried sitting down on the bed, which turned into way more of a struggle than I thought. 

"Careful now. Might be too early", whispered the Pandawa as he softly pushed me back down with his giant paw. 

Why did they care so much..? The Sacrier approached and signed to the Pandawa that he wanted him to leave, to which he didn't object. As the giant got on his feet and left the room, the captain took his place at my side and removed his coat with a sigh. At that moment, it felt like he was a completely different person. 

"I might be a pirate, but I don't kill children. Throwing you in the water would have been on my conscience for too long afterwards." 

He knelt down to my level and I turned my face to look at him straight in the eyes. 

"But I can't keep you here without a reason. My crew will think I..." 

He stopped, his eyes suddenly showing the glimmer of an emotion. But in my sickened state, I couldn't tell what it was. 

"You'll become part of my crew, lad. I give you no choice, if you resist, I'll have to go back on my word!" 

I felt yet again nervous, my hands crisped as they held the sheets underneath them. I was... going to work for pirates? Was I going to become a pirate?? Well... At this point it was far better than being thrown in the ocean! I felt the ears of my hat twitch softly as I had a nervous hiccup, which I thanked for not being followed by the need to vomit again. The captain had caught the emotion I gave out and smirked.

"Don't worry! We'll work on it! It'll be easy once you know what to do. But for now, I'll give you the time to rest. Once you will be back on your feet, you'll be helping Pichet making meals, and you'll wash the dock for the time being. We need you to get over this seasickness." 

I listened carefully to his orders, nodding at each of his statements. Since I had no choice, I had to listen. And even though my words were still a jumble I had a whole crew to get used to. At least it wasn't like the crowds in Bonta, where I used to get so nervous I would freeze because of the amount of people.

"You'll be addressing me as captain from now on", Gale said as he got up to his feet again, "But... If you need any help, you can always ask me. I know it's probably a new environment for you here." 

I looked at him, then nodded slowly. It was a whole new experience, even bigger than I though. I wanted to leave and discover new lands at first and, well... Maybe I actually got what I wanted, simply in another form. A form I didn't expect.

"Also, don't worry about the cranky ol' man. He will get used to you soon enough"

The Sacrier as he approached the doorless entrance, that seemed to lead to some kind of office... I was in his quarters, the captain's quarters. 

"For now, close your eyes and rest. This might be the last time in a long while that you will be enjoying a bed."

He left the room without a last glance on me.

I breathed in, felt the rocking of the boat again. I breathed out, heard the crew being active outside. I span to my left and tried to sleep. Funny how lucky and yet unlucky I had been this whole day... I sighed. I probably did need that rest. I needed to forget about my stomach in pain and my spinning head. I didn't care about the consequences of my usual sleep this time. I wanted to rest. My eyelids closed softly, and I drifted off into darkness once again.

 

To be continued


End file.
